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Crews prepare for overnight snowfall across New England

BOSTON (AP/WHDH) — A storm was expected to bring as much as 8 inches or more of snow to parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island beginning Saturday night, with smaller amounts predicted across northern New England.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for southern New England and winter storm advisories for parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Numerous parking bans and event cancellations were announced ahead of the looming storm. In Rhode Island, a ceremony planned for Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of a nightclub fire that killed 100 people was postponed until May 20 because of the expected snowstorm. A service had been planned at a park built at the West Warwick site.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said snow will begin spreading over the state between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and will last until 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday. The heaviest snow is expected to occur along and to the south of the Massachusetts Turnpike and the north of Cape Cod.

“Travel may be hazardous for a period of time during the late evening and overnight hours,” the agency warned, noting there was a low risk for isolated power outages, particularly in areas that receive 6 inches or more, or along the coastline where the snow could be wet and heavy.

Crews in Chelsea prepared for the storm Saturday night as flakes began to fall.

Southern Maine and New Hampshire were expected to receive 3 inches to 5 inches of snow while southern Vermont could get 2 inches to 4 inches.

The snow and cold was not expected to remain long in southern New England. In Connecticut, temperatures are predicted to climb into the 60s later in the week.

(Copyright (c) 2018 Sunbeam Television. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)